THE BRAYDEN SCHENN QUAGMIRE

The one to which I refer is this: Brayden Schenn’s WHL team (Saskatoon, which is actually a fun word to say) is down 3-0 to Kootenay (another fun word to say though it sounds a bit like a part of the female anatomy…in Canada…) In any event, if Schenn’s team loses tomorrow, bye bye Western Hockey League playoffs, hello quagmire?

Still, no, not that one.

I have read, listened to, read some more, endured never-ending whining about and quietly stepped aside to observe fans, pundits and others talk about why it is or is not a good idea to bring Brayden Schenn up to join the LA Kings in the playoffs. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why this is a quagmire at all…

…thought you were going to get another picture, didn’t you?

The decision appears an easy one.

Does Dean Lombardi believe Brayden Schenn will improve the LA Kings‘ chances of winning? Yes (giggity) and he comes up regardless of burning a year of his contract. No and he doesn’t. The rest is irrelevant.

Trade off: A second full season, then he enters his second consecutive playoffs, with a healthy Kopitar, and a healthy Williams.
The payoff: 8 total games in the NHL, then 1rst trip to the NHL playoffs, with an injured Kopitar, and an injured Williams.

Hmmmmm, what to do?

Oh please lord! chastize the wicked with lightning rods up their asses.

The thing we all have to remember regarding Schenn, for that matter Parse as well, is the fact they will need x amount of games to get their timing down. That includes their feet, passing the ability to read the plays developing on both ends of the ice, as well as the fast pace and physical demands of the playoffs.

Can/will Schenn influence the team enough to use up a year? I personally don’t think he has the time to be a difference maker. I would keep him in Manchester.

Ask yourself this… Whether he’s used to the pace or physicality of the game or not, will Schenn be more effective than Westgarth or Moller or Richardson? They’re dispensable and pretty much just warm bodies on the bench and we need all the help we can get.